By Francis Onyach - Reporter
UK, 27 August 2026 - Aston Villa have completed the signing of Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea in a deal worth up to £65 million, bringing an end to a dramatic late-window transfer saga.
The move has now been finalised, with Jackson completing his medical and the necessary documents completed before signing his Aston Villa contract. Fabrizio Romano reported that the agreement had been completed after Villa pushed through negotiations with Chelsea for the Senegal international.
The transfer represents a major piece of business for Villa, who have moved quickly to replace Ollie Watkins, whose departure for Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal has also been agreed. Sky Sports reports that Watkins' move is worth around £50 million, while Jackson's transfer could rise to £65 million.
Jackson reunited with Unai Emery
One of the major factors behind Villa's pursuit of Jackson was his previous relationship with manager Unai Emery.
The pair worked together at Villarreal, where Jackson developed into one of the club's most promising attacking players before earning his move to Chelsea in 2023.
Chelsea signed Jackson from Villarreal for a reported £32 million, handing him an eight-year contract. He made an immediate impact in England, scoring 17 Premier League goals during the 2023/24 campaign.
However, his Chelsea career ultimately became inconsistent. Jackson showed flashes of his ability but also attracted criticism for his finishing and disciplinary record, while competition for places increased as Chelsea continued to invest heavily in their forward line.
He subsequently spent the 2025/26 season on loan at Bayern Munich, adding another chapter to an increasingly complicated period in his career.
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Jackson's arrival is directly connected to the extraordinary changes taking place in Villa's attack.
Watkins has been one of the most important players in Villa's recent history, scoring 108 goals in 278 appearances since joining from Brentford in 2020. His imminent move to Al Hilal therefore leaves an enormous void.
Villa have responded by investing heavily in Jackson, making the Senegalese forward one of the most expensive signings in the club's history.
The decision also comes after Villa suffered a 4-0 defeat to Brighton, a result that exposed the need for greater attacking depth as Emery attempts to rebuild his squad.
For Jackson, the move offers an opportunity to restart his career in familiar surroundings.
At 25, he still has considerable room to develop, while his pace, physicality, movement and versatility give Emery several options in attack.
Villa will hope their manager can once again unlock the qualities Jackson demonstrated at Villarreal.
With the medical completed and documents signed, Nicolas Jackson is now an Aston Villa player.
The pressure will immediately be on him to justify the £65 million investment and help fill the enormous goalscoring void left by Watkins. For Emery, however, bringing in a striker he already knows could prove to be one of the most important decisions of Villa's turbulent summer.